Argentina co-chairs meeting of the G20 Trade and Investment Working Group

Today the Secretary for International Economic Relations of the Argentinian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Worship, Ambassador Horacio Reyser Travers, became Co-chair of the Meeting of the G20 Trade and Investment Group being held in Berlin, Germany.

Germany will be chairing the G20 for the current session of meetings and has invited Argentina to co-chair the forum. The invitation was extended when Sigmar Gabriel, former Vice Chancellor and Minister of Economic Affairs and Energy and current Minister of Foreign Affairs of Germany, visited Argentina in September 2016. Ambassador Reyser Travers will co-chair the negotiations of the G20 Working Group along with the Director General for External Economic Policy at the Federal Ministry of Economic Affairs and Energy, Eckhard Franz.

In his opening speech, the Argentinian co-chair of the Meeting being held in Berlin noted that the issues proposed by the German Chair will contribute to building consensus in key points of the international trade agenda such as the strengthening of the multilateral trade system against anti-trade rhetoric, the consolidation of investment as a key factor for sustainable growth, and the benefits of digital trade for economic growth and the creation of jobs.

The Argentinian Secretary of International Economic Relations also stated that the next Ministerial Conference of the World Trade Organization (WTO) to be held in Buenos Aires will face the challenge of generating concrete results, based on the two prior Ministerial Conferences. The magnitude of this challenge is evidenced by the scope of the discussions to be held, which include sectors such as agriculture (the subject of negotiations for years without significant progress in terms of liberalization of multilateral trade) and current uncertainty with respect to the international trade system and the world economy.

The Argentinian diplomat affirmed that the strengthening of the multilateral trade system should be a priority, noting that the G20 (particularly the Trade and Investment Working Group) has an important role to play in supplementing the efforts of the Members in order to ensure the success of the WTO Ministerial Conference in Buenos Aires. He further explained that this G20 Working Group has the opportunity of promoting a much-needed enduring consensus on key aspects of the international trade agenda.

After Germany completes its term as Chair (from 1 December 2016 to 30 November 2017), Argentina will become the Chair of the G20.

Press Release No. 025/17

Press Office: 4819-7375 / 8296 / 7388

www.cancilleria.gob.ar

@CancilleriaARG